Sustainable Funding Needed

NRU
Sept. 7, 2016
Leah Wong

With the role of conservation authorities expanding in response to the challenges of climate change and increased involvement in the planning process, GTA municipalities are requesting the province commit to predictable and sustainable funding for Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities.

With the end of the consulting period on the Conservation Authorities Act Friday, municipalities across the GTA are finalizing submissions to the province. A consistent concern is the province’s underfunding of conservation authorities and the financial pressure this adds to the municipal tax base.

The province has made updating the funding mechanisms for conservation authorities a priority through its review with a focus on improving accountability and province-wide consistency.

Addressing the need to improve fiscal oversight, Durham Region’s submission recommends that the province consult with conservation authorities and municipalities to develop a consistent financial reporting process to be used across the province. It says this would help identify which programs and services should be funded with municipal property taxes.

Peel Region’s submission highlights the absence of any reference to increased provincial funding in the consultation paper. It questions whether targeting strengthening accountability, as the province suggests, will significantly address the fiscal challenges the conservation authorities are presently facing.

Peel recommends that the province fully fund all programs mandated by the province and provide financial support for land acquisition programs so conservation authorities can secure significant natural heritage features and areas.

Alternatively, the Halton Region submission, through the Halton Area Planning Partnership—comprising the region and the four local municipalities—recommends that provincial funding should be allocated to programs related to natural hazard management and public safety such as the maintenance of dams, flood channels and other infrastructure.

Concerned that ministry funding has shrunk in recent years, York Region agrees in its submission that the province needs to re-examine its funding of conservation authorities. It notes that the funding shortfall has put additional pressure on the municipal tax levy without factoring in any new responsibilities that could be delegated to conservation authorities as a result of the review.

While York staff support legislative changes that would give the minister the authority to delegate delivery of additional programs and service to conservation authorities in the future, its submission highlights concern that this would place additional financial pressures on municipalities and conservation authorities. It suggests that consultation be required before conservation authorities are delegate any new programs or services.

Durham is also concerned with the suggestion of increased program and service delivery without the promise of additional provincial funding. Its submission notes that “municipalities have already been challenged with increased funding requirements for the core responsibilities of [conservation authorities]” and stresses the importance of sustainable provincial funding for the authorities.

In support of the provincial direction to reduce duplication and increase collaboration, Peel Region recommends that various ministries provide funding to conservation authority programs related to their mandates. For example, Peel suggests funding from Ministry of Environment and Climate Change could be used to deliver conservation authority programs related to the province’s source water protection and climate change mandate.

The consultation marks the second phase of the Conservation Authorities Act review, which is being overseen by recently appointed Natural Resources and Forestry minister Kathryn McGarry. It builds on comments received on the ministry’s October 2015 discussion paper. [See NRU October 28, 2015 GTA edition.] The feedback received will be used to inform the development of proposed legislative, regulatory and policy changes.

Durham committee of the whole and Halton planning and public works committee will both decide later today whether to approve submissions recommended by their staff. York committee of the whole and Peel council will consider their submissions on Thursday.